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Wilhelm Anton Souchon (; 2 June 1864 – 13 January 1946) was a German admiral in World War I. Souchon commanded the Kaiserliche Marines Mediterranean squadron in the early days of the war. His initiatives played a major part in the entry of the Ottoman Empire into World War I.
Souchon entered the Imperial German Naval Academy on 12 April 1881. After graduation he served on board the corvette Leipzig when it participated in the coastal colonisation of German South-West Africa in 1884. In 1884 Souchon, with the rank of Kapitän, had risen to command a training ship specialising in mine laying techniques.
Between 1884 and 1903 Souchon progressed through several sea going and staff positions, reaching the rank of Korvettenkapitän in what was a steadily expanding navy. In 1904 he was appointed as chief of staff to a cruiser squadron stationed in East Asia. He undertook a number of diplomatic and liaison assignments in Japan, China and the Dutch East Indies.
Returning to Europe Souchon took up senior staff duties in the Office of the Imperial Navy in Berlin. After serving as chief of staff for the Baltic naval squadron he reached the ranks of Konteradmiral in April 1911 and Rear Admiral of the High Sea Fleet six months later.
The Dardanelles were fortified with German assistance and the Bosporus was secured by the presence of Goeben (now Yavuz Sultan Selim). On 27 September 1914, the Straits were officially closed to all international shipping.
On 29 October 1914, Souchon's fleet launched the Black Sea Raid, a naval attack which brought the Ottoman Empire into World War I. His ships laid several sea minefields and shelled the Black Sea ports of Sevastopol, Odessa, and others, destroying the Russian minesweeper, Prut, in the process. British naval units quickly retaliated on Turkish merchant ships off İzmir. On 2 November 1914, Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire. On 5 November, Britain followed suit and on 12 November 1914, the Ottoman government officially declared war on the Triple Entente.
For the next three years, Souchon attempted to reform the Ottoman Navy while conducting a number of raids on Russian shipping, ports, and coastal installations in the Black Sea. Promoted to vice admiral, Souchon was awarded the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest military order, on 29 October 1916.
In September 1917, Souchon returned to Germany. There he received command of the Fourth Battleship Squadron of the High Seas Fleet during Operation Albion. Thereafter he was promoted to Admiral. By the end of the war, he was commanding officer of the Imperial Navy base at Kiel.
At the outbreak of the Kiel mutiny on 3 November 1918, Souchon asked for outside troops, but revoked his request for military help when his staff claimed the situation was under control. Souchon had been deployed to Kiel a few days earlier on 30 October 1918, and had therefore to rely heavily on his staff. On 4 November, the request had to be renewed. Altogether six infantry companies were brought to Kiel. Some units stayed in the city quarter Wik, and in the Marinestation der Ostsee. However, these troops showed signs of disintegration and some joined the revolutionaries. Souchon had to negotiate and order the withdrawal of the units. Dirk Dähnhardt: Revolution in Kiel. Neumünster 1978, S. 83 f. In the course of the events, Souchon stepped down as governor and was replaced by the civilian social democratic politician, Gustav Noske.
Admiral Souchon died in Bremen on 13 January 1946.
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